The United States travel industry executives congratulate Pete Buttigieg on his confirmation to be Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said, “I want to congratulate Pete Buttigieg on his confirmation to be Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Secretary Buttigieg has a proven track record as Mayor of successfully shepherding numerous complex transportation projects while partnering with industry in a productive manner. We believe that strong coordination and shared understanding between government and industry is critical to ensuring that air travel remains the safest mode of transportation in the world.
As the Biden Administration looks to enact comprehensive infrastructure investment, we look forward to working with Secretary Buttigieg to continue prioritizing the safety and health of passengers and employees as our industry and the nation looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic – the most devastating crisis the airline industry has ever experienced. We also will welcome collaboration with Secretary Buttigieg and the DOT team to prioritize safety, sustainability, modernization and the quality jobs that this industry supports.
U.S. airlines have always been critical to our nation’s economy and infrastructure. Now, as our nation looks toward the future, A4A and our member carriers stand ready to work with Secretary Buttigieg and the Biden Administration to resume connecting American communities, families and businesses with each other and with the rest of the world.”
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said, “The Department of Transportation will play a pivotal role in safely restarting domestic and international air travel, and Secretary Buttigieg’s pragmatic approach to transportation policy will ensure we can do it in a way that protects public health and ensures economic growth can safely resume.
As a former mayor, Buttigieg brings priority-based thinking to transportation investment, which will be valuable since travel and tourism has been hit by far the hardest of any U.S. industry by the fallout of the pandemic. Now is the time to prioritize investments in projects that will accelerate recovery, usher in the future of mobility, and ensure the travel industry is globally competitive.
Travel and tourism lost $500 billion and 4.5 million jobs as travel ground to a halt last year, and our industry looks forward to working with Buttigieg to facilitate a strong comeback. We thank the Senate for the swift consideration of his nomination so that this important work can begin.”
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said, “JetBlue congratulates Pete Buttigieg on his Senate confirmation to become the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Secretary Buttigieg brings to the role a strong understanding of the importance of infrastructure investment, which we’re hopeful will include modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system, a top priority for JetBlue. We also welcome President Biden’s immediate focus on climate change and look forward to collaborating with the Secretary on opportunities that lie ahead. And with considerable and significant challenges still facing the airline industry amid the pandemic recovery, we’ll also look to the Secretary for support to ensure we emerge in a position to help power the economy when the crisis is over.”
